Chapter 117: Disciple Scramble (4)

"How do you expect to do anything to me like this? Why don't you try using that cultivation method instead?" Mok Gyeongwoon's mocking tone.

At those words, a blazing fury, like a furnace, surged from a spot in Mok Yucheon's chest. Until just a month ago, to him, Mok Gyeongwoon was nothing more than a cowardly trash who couldn't be found to have any talent.

But how could this situation unfold? How could the circumstances be turned upside down in just a month, making him the inferior one?

*Grit*

His teeth ground together. Hadn't he made bloody efforts beyond his talent to overturn the notion of his lowly birth?

Yet he was being pushed back by this devilish fellow? It was becoming increasingly difficult to contain his anger.

*Thump*

His heart pounded strongly, and the impulse of murderous intent that he had been suppressing was trying to rise again.

Seeing him like that, Mok Gyeongwoon spoke as if he had wished for it, raising the corners of his mouth, "Good. That's how it should be."

'!?' Upon hearing those words, Mok Yucheon felt a momentary pang of regret.

In a moment of humiliation, he had almost released the impulse he had been suppressing with difficulty, unable to control his anger.

Mok Yucheon bit his lip and suppressed his rage. He absolutely couldn't do as this fellow wished.

'No. I have to endure.'

If he were to indulge in that impulse, he wouldn't be able to control what he might do. Seeing his reaction, Mok Gyeongwoon chuckled. He found this aspect to be quite troublesome.

Should it be called unnecessarily stubborn? However, although brief, he had experienced Mok Yucheon in the Yeon Mok Sword Manor and had information about him.

Mok Yucheon's reverse scale was easy to trigger, "For a lowly courtesan's son, your patience is quite-"

Before he could even finish his sentence,

*Whoosh*

At that moment, a strong rebound force arose from Mok Yucheon's neck, and along with the hand grasping his neck, Mok Gyeongwoon's body was flung backward. Mok Gyeongwoon, who had been lifted nearly three feet in the air, somersaulted and landed on the ground.

*Swish*

Even so, he was pushed back nearly five steps. Having been pushed back and regained his balance, Mok Gyeongwoon raised his head.

'So, this was it.'

His power had surged in an instant. It seemed to have nearly doubled, already surpassing the pinnacle-stage of Peak Realm.

Seeing that, Mok Gyeongwoon clicked his tongue inwardly, 'It turned out like this.'

Although it was a side effect caused by the incorrect mnemonics, what were the chances of such an absurd situation occurring where the power nearly doubled? It was no different from searching for a needle in a sandy beach.

*Sizzle*

The red mist flowing from Mok Yucheon's entire body was ominous beyond compare. The atmosphere seemed even more dangerous due to his brown skin and whitened eyes.

Seeing him like that, a glimmer of admiration appeared in Mok Gyeongwoon's eyes, 'Ah. So that's how it is.'

Mok Gyeongwoon's eyes differed from those of ordinary people. After embracing the energy of death, the death qi, and opening the Ghost Eyes, he could see the flow of energy. Because of that, he could witness right in front of him how Mok Yucheon's energy was surging.

The principle was quite unique.

'How fascinating.'

He had only changed a few parts of the original cultivation method's mnemonics, yet such a phenomenon occurred. No, it was more than a few parts, but it was still fascinating. The depth of martial arts seemed truly limitless.

"I'll kill you!"

It was at that very moment.

*Bam*

Mok Yucheon shouted at Mok Gyeongwoon and launched his body towards him. Perhaps due to his power nearly doubling, his speed was much faster than before. Reaching Mok Gyeongwoon in an instant, Mok Yucheon threw a fist as if to shatter Mok Gyeongwoon's head.

*Tap*

Mok Gyeongwoon employed the lightness skill and created distance just as the fist was about to touch his head.

He had barely dodged it.

Since he was limiting himself to the peak of the peak realm, he didn't draw out more than 20% of his internal energy, so it was more efficient to dodge than to block.

*Bam*

However, just as he thought he had created distance, Mok Yucheon had already caught up to him. Then, he unleashed the 9th move of the Yeon Mok Nine Techniques, the basic technique of the Yeon Mok Sword Manor, the Yeon Eternal Trading Blows Technique[1].

Mok Gyeongwoon was well aware of this technique, so he tried to dodge by predicting its trajectory, but-

*Bam*

"Ugh!"

At that moment, the trajectory of the Yeon Eternal Trading Blows Technique's fist technique changed, striking his left shoulder and collarbone in succession. Upon being hit, Mok Gyeongwoon's body was pushed back again.

*Swish*

Seeing Mok Gyeongwoon being pushed back, Lee Ji-yeom, the Corpse Blood Valley Master, stiffened his expression.

It was understandable, as Lee Ji-yeom had confirmed the cause of death after seeing the corpse of the deceased Yeom Ga from the Vermillion Slaughter Cave. The cause of death was the rupture of all the meridians centred around the area of impact.

This was completely different from a typical internal injury. So, before the duel, he had wanted to inform his liege, Mok Gyeongwoon, about this fact, but he couldn't due to the many watchful eyes.

'This is serious. Why did the Liege provoke that child?' Mok Yucheon himself seemed to be restraining that impulse.

However, when Mok Gyeongwoon said something, he couldn't contain his anger and manifested the evil technique again. Perhaps the meridians in the areas that were hit just now had ruptured.

'Ah…'

Was his guess correct? Mok Gyeongwoon was staggering, clutching his shoulder. Had the meridians indeed ruptured from the previous strike?

At that moment, Mok Yucheon also hesitated for a moment upon seeing Mok Gyeongwoon grasping his shoulder.

'Could it be?' Mok Yucheon looked at his palm.

The sensation when he had struck Mok Gyeongwoon's shoulder and collarbone just now was very similar to when he had killed Yeom Ga from the Vermillion Slaughter Cave. It was a sensation as if his qi was mixed with the impulse of murderous intent.

'What on earth is this?'

If he became more accustomed to this strange sensation, it seemed like he could unleash it at will. However, now wasn't the time for that. Although he had been consumed by murderous intent due to Mok Gyeongwoon's provocation, he had no real desire to kill him.

He just wanted to teach that devilish fellow a lesson.

"Phew~" Mok Gyeongwoon, who had been clutching his shoulder, let go of his hand and straightened his back.

Seeing that, Mok Yucheon furrowed his brows. Yeom Ga, whom he had faced earlier, had coughed up blood and suffered in agony before meeting his demise from this strike. However, there was no abnormality in Mok Gyeongwoon's complexion.

Was he unaffected?

"You…"

"Is this all you've got?" Mok Gyeongwoon's mocking tone.

Upon hearing this, Mok Yucheon's eyes turned fierce. He had been foolish to sympathize with him for a moment, thinking he might die.

"It's disappointing. Is this the limit of your lowly birth?"

*Grit*

The red mist surged even more strongly from Mok Yucheon's entire body. Then, his veins bulged prominently. The more his emotions intensified, the more it seemed to affect his qi circulation.

'Bastard!' Mok Yucheon clenched his fists tightly.

It was rather fortunate.

Unlike Yeom Ga, if he were hit in areas like the shoulder, it seemed he could avoid a fatal injury, so he needed to make it so that Mok Gyeongwoon couldn't use his limbs for a while. That way, he would come to his senses.

*Bam*

Mok Yucheon, consumed by the impulse of murderous intent, launched his body towards Mok Gyeongwoon again.

In response, Mok Gyeongwoon also moved accordingly. This time, instead of retreating, he launched his body head-on towards the charging Mok Yucheon.

They both charged towards each other.

*Bam*

Mok Yucheon's movement was even faster.

In an instant, a fist flew towards Mok Gyeongwoon's face as if to pierce through it. Mok Gyeongwoon moved his head to dodge it and then kicked towards Mok Yucheon's abdomen.

*Bam*

Mok Yucheon, who was hit in the abdomen, snorted. As if it didn't hurt at all, he tried to strike down Mok Gyeongwoon's leg to break it in that state.

*Bam*

Mok Gyeongwoon twisted his body and kicked Mok Yucheon's face with his other leg. Mok Yucheon dodged it with a half-step and succeeded in landing a strike on Mok Gyeongwoon's thigh.

*Bam*

Mok Gyeongwoon's body, having been hit, was slightly pushed back.

*Swish*

Unlike before, he was pushed back about three steps. As he was pushed back, qi surged from the soles of Mok Gyeongwoon's feet, and then,

*Crack*

The floor of the training ground cracked.

Witnessing this, one of the leaders, Thunderbolt Fist King Won Byeong-hak, exclaimed in astonishment and muttered, "He drained it."

It was a phenomenon where the energy contained in the opponent's fist was drained through the Yongcheon acupoint. It could be considered a technique of grafting. If he could use that technique more smoothly, he could utilize the opponent's strength to add greater power and reflect it back.

However, even that alone demonstrated his excellent qi manipulation.

'Ah, as expected, it's that child,' Seeing this, his desire for Mok Gyeongwoon intensified even more.

That fellow was undoubtedly a talent who could not only complete the secret technique of the True Origin Lightning Fist but also further develop it.

At that moment, Mok Gyeongwoon once again mocked Mok Yucheon, "How mediocre."

"You!"

Enraged, Mok Yucheon launched his body towards Mok Gyeongwoon once more.

*Bam*

'Why? Why is it?'

Mok Yucheon, consumed by the impulse of murderous intent, became more impatient as his anger grew. His power had surged, making him superior to Mok Gyeongwoon in every aspect, yet why couldn't he defeat him?

Did he need even stronger power? Mok Yucheon tried to draw out more energy by operating the flawed Ignited Wood Heart Transformation Method.

It was at that very moment.

*Snap*

As if the string of rationality had snapped, Mok Yucheon's eyes completely turned brown. Then, he let out a roar like a beast.

"Roar!"

At the power-infused scream reminiscent of a lion's roar, the warriors nearby simultaneously covered their ears.

*Crack*

*Screech*

Mok Yucheon's skin had turned not just brown but black, and his veins bulged prominently, his muscles swelling to the point where his upper garment tore.

*Roar*

Sensing the surging energy emanating from Mok Yucheon, the leaders simultaneously rose from their seats. His power had not just doubled but nearly tripled. He had almost reached the realm of the early stages of the Transcendent Realm.

'What kind of evil technique is that?'

'How did his energy surge to that extent?'

Even Bright Blade King Son Yun and Thunderbolt Fist King Won Byeong-hak couldn't hide their astonishment at Mok Yucheon's appearance.

This was a bizarre phenomenon that couldn't even be adequately described as an evil technique. The Heaven and Earth Society was not a righteous sect, so evil techniques were not forbidden, but this went beyond that concept and was ominous and dangerous in itself.

'This has surpassed the level that child can handle.'

Power wielded beyond one's limits ultimately leads to destruction in the end. It was a temporary surge caused by a rampage. However, it was not at a level that Mok Gyeongwoon could handle.

"Valley Master. The duel!"

Although Son Yun didn't finish his sentence, Lee Ji-yeom shared the same thought. They had to stop the duel immediately.

"Understood…"

It was at that very moment.

*Boom*

The fragments of the training ground floor shot upward, and the rampaging Mok Yucheon charged towards Mok Gyeongwoon. His speed was on a different level compared to before.

In the blink of an eye, he reached Mok Gyeongwoon, and then,

*Bam*

He swung a vicious fist at Mok Gyeongwoon. Along with it, Mok Gyeongwoon's body was flung away, bouncing off the training ground floor three times like a ragdoll before rolling on the ground.

*Thud*

*Boom*

*Crash*

Just by looking at the shattered stone floor of the training ground, one could imagine the extent of the power. With this level of impact, he might have suffered injuries that crushed the bones throughout his body.

However, the rampaging Mok Yucheon didn't stop there, "Roar!"

Letting out another monstrous scream, he tried to charge towards the fallen Mok Gyeongwoon.

*Bam*

*Boom*

Mok Yucheon, who had been charging forward, stumbled and fell.

Someone of a large stature was grasping the back of his neck, none other than Bright Blade King Son Yun. However, Son Yun wasn't the only one restraining him.

At some point, Thunderbolt Fist King Won Byeong-hak was standing right in front of Mok Yucheon, his fist drawn back, ready to unleash an explosive force at any moment.

*Bam*

"Roar!" Mok Yucheon, suppressed by Bright Blade King Son Yun's hand, tried to resist.

Thanks to his surging power, his entire body shook. However, no matter how strong he had become, there was no way he could surpass the power of Bright Blade King Son Yun, who had reached the pinnacle-stage of Transcendent Realm.

"Stay still."

*Boom*

Son Yun pressed down on Mok Yucheon's neck even more forcefully.

"Thunderbolt Fist King," while holding Mok Yucheon down, Son Yun called out to Thunderbolt Fist King Won Byeong-hak.

It meant to quickly subdue his acupoints. Won Byeong-hak nodded his head and relaxed his stance, approaching Mok Yucheon to attempt to seal his acupoints.

*Tap*

"What's with this brat?"

"What's the matter?"

"The locations of his acupoints have all changed."

"His acupoints?"

"That's right. The locations of his acupoints are all jumbled up, so like this…"

It seemed difficult to make him faint by sealing his acupoints.

As they were dealing with that, "Let me handle it."

Upon hearing the voice, Won Byeong-hak turned his head.

There stood Hang Yeo-ryang, the Valley Master of the Summoning Sound Valley. She approached closely and placed her two hands near the ears of Mok Yucheon, who was trying to struggle while being suppressed.

*Bam*

*Whoosh*

She clenched and opened her hands.

At that moment, a strong vibration occurred, and the eyes of Mok Yucheon, who had been trying to resist, rolled back. Then, his movements soon subsided.

Won Byeong-hak asked with a furrowed brow, "What did you do?"

Hang Yeo-ryang, the Valley Master of the Summoning Sound Valley, chuckled and tapped her head with her finger, saying, "Should I say I made this vibrate a little?"

She had used sound techniques to create vibrations, shaking Mok Yucheon's brain through his eardrums. Is this when the expression "the skull is ringing" is used? No matter how strong he was, unable to endure the vibrations coming from both sides, Mok Yucheon had lost consciousness.

*Thump*

At that moment, Mok Yucheon's swollen muscles subsided. Not only that, but his blackened skin also regained its original colour. Finding this strange, Son Yun checked his acupoints.

'The surging energy is subsiding. However…'

It was as expected. Some of the meridians throughout his body had swollen due to the surging power, and some had even ruptured, and his danjeon had also become quite unstable.

'Strange. How strange.'

In this state, it wouldn't have been surprising if all his meridians had ruptured. However, it stopping at only some parts was fortunate. If not, Mok Yucheon would have not only lost his martial arts but also become disabled or crippled throughout his entire body.

It could be said that it was fortunate that they had rushed in.

'What about that child?'

Son Yun removed his hand from Mok Yucheon's acupoints and looked at the place where Mok Gyeongwoon had been flung away. Lee Ji-yeom, the Corpse Blood Valley Master, was there.

Seeing this, he clicked his tongue, 'To think it would turn out like this while determining the final top ranker.'

It was truly an ironic situation. Although Mok Yucheon's condition wasn't very good, if he had been hit with a strike like before, Mok Gyeongwoon's body would have been nearly shattered as well.

As he was thinking that, Mok Gyeongwoon was seen staggering and getting up from his spot.

'!?'

Seeing that, the eyes of the leaders, including Son Yun, glimmered with admiration. Did he endure such a tremendous strike?

At that moment, Lee Ji-yeom, who was beside him, whispered to Mok Gyeongwoon with surprised eyes, "My liege, are you alright?"

He had thought that Mok Gyeongwoon would have suffered severe injuries from the surging strike that nearly reached the early-stage of Transcendent Realm.

However, Mok Gyeongwoon smiled as if nothing had happened and said, "I'm fine."

"But with that level of strike just now…"

"Ah, ah. At this level, it's correct that I couldn't dodge it."

"Pardon?"

What did he mean by that? At this level, he couldn't dodge it? What on earth was he talking about?

As he was wondering, Mok Gyeongwoon lightly moved his neck and stretched it.

*Crack*

"Deliberately taking the hit and pretending to be in pain is quite a task."

"Ha…" at those words, Lee Ji-yeom was momentarily dumbfounded.

Did he mean that he had deliberately taken that tremendous strike? However, what was surprising was not that, but rather, he was even more astonished by Mok Gyeongwoon's appearance, who truly seemed unharmed.

But the surprises didn't end there.

"But thanks to seeing it up close, I learned something good."

"Pardon?"

What did he mean by that?

*Bulge*

At that moment, the veins on Mok Gyeongwoon's left hand bulged prominently, and soon, the muscles up to his wrist swelled, and his skin turned black.

'!!!!!'

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